Electronic devices may be manufactured in a substantially similar hardware and software platform and distinguished based on branding information associated with the devices. For example, a battery cover featuring a Brand X logo may be attached to a first electronic device, and a battery cover featuring a Brand Y logo may be attached to a second electronic device. The first and second electronic devices may have substantially the same hardware and software and be distinguished only by the different brand logos on their battery covers. The branding distinctions may extend further to include distinct branded splash screens that display when applications execute on the electronic devices, to include distinct audio cues that sound when events occur on the electronic devices, and to include other branding differences. The branding of electronic devices may be performed as part of the manufacturing process. In this case, electronic devices that share common hardware and software but that are manufactured as different brands are likely to be associated with different stock keeping unit (SKU) identities and may require to be tested separately.
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are businesses that may lease mobile communication services from wireless communication carriers. Thus, mobile virtual network operators may not own cellular towers, mobile switching centers (MSCs), gateways, and other communications infrastructure but instead may pay fees to the owners of this communication infrastructure to carry the communications traffic of their subscribers. The mobile virtual network operators may wish that their subscribers use mobile phones that feature their branding rather than the branding of the owner of the communications infrastructure, whereby to own and control the subscriber relationship. At the same time, some mobile virtual network operators may be associated with a small number of subscribers, at least initially, and may have difficulty negotiating with mobile phone manufacturers to make a small run of mobile phones manufactured to feature branding associated with their business.